Home Insurance in Arcata, California
The median home value in Arcata is $484,600, 8% higher than the Humboldt County median.
The typical home in Arcata was built around 1976. About 29% of homes were built before 1960, about 5 points below Humboldt County's 34%. Because older housing stock often has aging wiring, roofing or plumbing, it can cost more to insure or rebuild.
In Arcata, the housing stock is 50% single-family homes, 27% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 5% mobile or manufactured homes. The rest are 2-4 unit or other housing types. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
In Arcata, about 48% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
Arcata has an owner-occupancy rate of 36% and a vacancy rate of 9%; unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form.
69% of homes in Arcata are primarily heated with natural gas.
Humboldt County's top FEMA-rated hazard is earthquake (Relatively High), per FEMA's National Risk Index. Humboldt County had 442 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Humboldt County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details. Earthquake damage is excluded from a standard homeowners policy.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in California carries a statewide average premium of $1,655 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $484,600 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Owner-occupied share | 36% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 48% |
| Top county hazard | Earthquake (Relatively High) |
| Active NFIP policies in Humboldt County | 442 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,655 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Nearby towns
Sources
Data last updated: 2026-09-29
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)